


Sincerely

by MaxiemumDamage



Category: RWBY
Genre: Background Bees, F/F, White Rose Week (RWBY), White Rose Week 2020 (RWBY), also 10 seconds of Nora and a cameo for my newest OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:13:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24667420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaxiemumDamage/pseuds/MaxiemumDamage
Summary: Weiss finds a bouquet of flowers in her dorm, but dismisses the anonymous sender out of hand. As it turns out, her suitor is a lot closer to home than she might have guessed.WRW Day 2: Beacon Days/LettersFeat: our lord and savior Coco Adel.
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 6
Kudos: 72





	Sincerely

Weiss Schnee wasn’t exactly  _ unaccustomed _ to receiving gifts out of the blue. The moment Winter was disowned, Weiss had been showered with jewelry and poems and oh, so many flowers. All from young men who had been after the SDC, and the fortune attached to it.

Anonymity was rarely the case, however. And this was the very first time someone had sent them to her dorm at Beacon.

_ Not  _ _ my _ _ dorm, _ Weiss reminded herself. For the first time in her life, Weiss was sharing her bedroom with someone else. It was actually quite difficult to forget, with Ruby’s bed  _ literally _ hanging over hers. 

“Pretty flowers.” Yang, her voice not without sarcasm, had evidently decided to grace their dorm with her presence. Lately, she and Blake had been running off on every kind of ridiculous excursion together, to the point where Weiss rarely saw half of her team. 

Which was a blessing, really. There was only so much a person could tolerate each day.

“I really don’t care. There’s a note, but it’s blank. Who even does that? Maybe they were just sent to the wrong place.” Weiss’s attempts to rationalize the gift only brought on an eye roll from Yang. “Yes, the flowers left in our dorm, on your bed, with your color scheme and your emblem on the card was sent here by accident.” Yang paused for a moment, then added “What’s it say, anyhow?”

Now it was Weiss’s turn to roll her eyes. “I just told you, it’s  _ blank _ . There’s no name or anything. Which is just as well, since I really don’t care who sent it.”

“Why wouldn’t you care who sent it?” Yang asked incredulously. “Maybe things are different in Atlas, but in Vale sending someone flowers is widely considered to be a romantic gesture.” 

For whatever it was worth, Weiss  _ knew _ full well it was a romantic gesture. However,  _ caring _ was another matter altogether.

“So?”

“ _ So _ , you’ve got a secret admirer. You honestly don’t care who it is?”

“I wouldn’t say I don’t care; I’d say it doesn’t matter. The fact someone broke into our dorm to leave an anonymous gift shows a lot of dedication with absolutely  _ no _ courage. I haven’t any interest in a romantic relationship with someone who can’t even face me.” Weiss answered tightly.

“ _ Someone’s _ certainly got high standards. What’ve you got against a little anonymous courtship? It’s a classic.” It was the same tone Yang used whenever she teased Ruby. She had moved onto outright mockery, which wasn’t exactly encouraging.

“Shouldn’t you be training? Our doubles match is in two days, and you’re not exactly-” Weiss cut herself off before she said anything particularly cruel. “Look, if team CFVY lost their doubles match, we should be careful. Getting cocky isn’t going to help us.” 

Yang nodded, and for once it seemed she might listen to Weiss. “You’re right, being overconfident won’t help our chances.” Weiss mentally sighed with relief.

Too soon.

“But a new suitor just might? Keeping an open mind and adapting are very important for being a successful Huntress. And it wouldn’t kill you to give somebody new a chance, y’know.” 

_ Yang must have really been working on her agility if she’d managed to jump to that conclusion _ , Weiss bitterly thought.

Having had quite enough of this conversation, and not particularly caring to follow Yang’s train of thought, Weiss grabbed her bag.

She had a reservation to keep, anyhow.

\-----  
  


Coco and Weiss weren’t exactly the best of friends (at least not yet), but they were the only ones on either of their teams who really appreciated good coffee. 

Team CFVY had bonded with team RWBY, which was… really nice, actually. True, Coco got on better with Ruby, but that was a given. They were both team leaders, both enjoyed design and sewing (saying Ruby liked  _ fashion _ felt like a bit of a stretch), and had a knack for engineering. Coco having bonded with Yang was a bit more of a surprise -what did they even have in  _ common _ ? -but it was fine, really. It was probably a good thing they all got along with Coco, since she was the leader. 

Though Weiss was fairly certain Coco’s most recent conversation with Blake had ended with Coco getting shot down.

And at any rate, Coco wasn’t about to mock Weiss for her romantic prospects. In Coco’s own words, “Tacky hetero relationship drama is the last thing I will  _ ever _ want to hear about.” And even  _ had _ Coco cared, they had more pressing matters to think about.

Weiss set her mug down with a smile. “I don’t care how expensive it is, this is the best coffee I’ve ever had.” Coco grinned in reply, clearly pleased. “If  _ this _ is the best coffee you’ve ever had, I have serious questions about Atlesian cafes.” Fine, so maybe it wasn’t the  _ best _ , but the latte was good enough, and it wasn’t as though the drinks were the only perk the cafe offered. 

Brew Bloom was a new shop in downtown Vale, and it had a pretty cute aesthetic; little potted plants in every corner, an outdoor area behind the shop had a trellis with wisteria vines winding up.

“Besides, since when do Schnees need to worry about expenses?” Funny. Coco wasn’t exactly wrong; Weiss  _ didn’t _ usually need to worry about such things. But now that her father had cut her off, she needed to be a bit more frugal. Up until now, Weiss hadn’t actually touched her student’s stipend from Beacon- she’d had both her allowance and a case of Dust in her dorm. (She certainly wasn’t about to call her father just to beg for money. It wasn’t worth it-  _ he _ wasn’t worth it.)

Good coffee was more than worth the price of her pride, anyways.

“Maybe I’m just on edge. I’ve got a fight to win tomorrow, if you’ll recall.” Weiss winced the moment she said it- Coco was a proud person, and clearly wasn’t happy to have lost her own doubles match. And while knocking out your opponent was completely  _ legal _ , it wasn’t exactly... well, it made you look weak. The attacker and their victim.

“Yeah, it’s you and Yang huh?” Coco said without emotion, her sunglasses making her completely unreadable. (Her aviators had been broken  _ yesterday _ and she already had a new pair. Did she own more than one? She had to. Weiss made a mental note to ask Velvet about it.)

“Yes, actually. We’re a balanced pair. I’ve got plenty of options, especially if we get one of the dust biomes, and Yang’s a heavy hitter. She’s a strong melee fighter and something of a powerhouse... even if she  _ is _ a tad obnoxious.” The irritation Weiss had felt in the dorm bled into the conversation.

Coco, seemingly glad for the change of subject, smirked. “What’d she do this time?”

Weiss didn’t exactly  _ want _ people to know, but it was nice to vent... and it was Coco. It wasn’t like her to make fun. 

Well, not to anyone’s  _ face _ , at least.

“Someone sent flowers to our dorm, and Yang seems convinced I’m going to ride off into the sunset with my new suitor.” Weiss’s voice was practically dripping with sarcasm, but Coco didn’t laugh. In fact, her tone seemed to have the opposite effect, because the brunette promptly set down her mug and leaned forward. “You’ve got a new beau already? Must be a record for you, Ice Queen. Only been a few weeks since Jaune got some sense knocked into him.”  _ Now _ she chuckled.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Weiss couldn’t quite keep the hurt out of her voice. 

“It’s nothing to do with you, Weiss. You’re actually pretty easy on the eyes yourself, but if  _ Pyrrha fucking Nikos _ had a crush on me... well I certainly wouldn’t be chasing a girl who’d shot me down at every turn.” Coco was still wearing her aviators, but Weiss could practically  _ hear _ the eyeroll. “Jaune’s a decent guy, but he’s the most oblivious person I’ve ever met.”

Now  _ that _ was a sentiment Weiss would gladly toast to.

“Fair enough. What I don’t understand is why someone would go to all that trouble to send me a gift, but not even sign it.”

Coco lowered her glasses so Weiss could see the condescending look she sent across the table. “Weiss. You are a member of the most prominent family on Remnant. You’re on Ozpin’s new favorite team, and one of the best students in your class. You’re one of the most talented people I’ve ever met, and in case you didn’t hear me earlier… you’re  _ damn _ hot. For an Ice Queen, at least.” Weiss rolled her eyes at the nickname, but Coco pressed on. “You’re an intimidating girl, but you’ve clearly been warming up lately. Maybe someone just finally worked up the nerve to act on an old crush.” 

Coco’s words were… the exact opposite of what Weiss wanted to hear, actually. It would have been so much easier to have someone to laugh about it with, but nobody seemed to be joking. 

“Maybe we should get going. I doubt this much coffee is good for either of us.” It was a poor coverup, but there was a sliver of truth to it. Both girls had already consumed a dangerous amount of caffeine. Coco had a high tolerance, but…that was at  _ least _ her third cup of the day. Assuming she’d had her usual two at breakfast, it was the fifth. Weiss was tempted to predial a hospital in case her friend went into cardiac arrest.

“Masterful change of subject.” Coco could be perceptive when it suited her. “But fine, we can go. The view’s getting old, anyways.”

“Really? I thought the decor was rather cute.”

“I wasn’t talking about the cafe, Weiss.” Coco jerked her head in the direction of the barista, a girl with white streaked black hair and a matching set of wide ears atop her head.  _ Is she some kind of mouse…?  _ Weiss immediately kicked herself for wondering. Blake had explained to her on  _ several _ occasions that you shouldn’t ask about those kinds of things, that it didn’t actually matter.

Regardless, she was really cute, and Coco’s insistence on getting their refills suddenly seemed a lot less altruistic. Although it might be a good way to get back at her for all that teasing.

Coco had been teasing, just like Yang. 

Weiss refused to consider the alternative. 

  
\-----  
  


Yang had been teasing. She must have realized how frustrating this would be for Weiss, and probably thought it was a good way to get back at her for… well, it must have been for  _ something _ . And Coco was sort of a flirt, she seemed to view even platonic relationships as casual, she probably didn’t see it as a big deal.

It  _ wasn’t _ a big deal. Just some dolt who had forgotten to sign a card or hadn’t cared to. 

Obviously they didn’t care. Weiss didn’t either.

It didn’t matter.

Weiss realized abruptly that she had walked straight past her own dorm. Frustrated, she turned on her heel and headed right back. 

When Weiss finally got back to her room, she really just wanted to lie down for a bit. Or maybe throw those flowers out the window. She’d decide when she got there.

“Heyyyy, Ice Queen! Did someone actually send you a bunch of flowers or--?”

Weiss slammed the door in Nora’s face without answering her question. She was  _ not in the mood _ .

\-----  
  


What had started off as funny, albeit annoying, had become utterly infuriating. It seemed as though everyone was simultaneously making a joke of the situation and taking it far, far too seriously. 

_ It didn't matter _ . It  _ couldn't _ , not to her, not to a  _ Schnee _ . There were expectations to be met, and wasting time on mysterious beaus wasn’t one of them.

Weiss stole another look at the flowers. It wasn’t exactly a conventional bouquet, but that was part of why she had wanted to keep it. Most people didn’t use white roses unless it was a funeral. Too depressing. But these seemed lively, cheery even.

Weiss took a closer look. They weren’t roses at all.

They were tulips. 

White tulips, with baby’s breath used to fill the gaps. There were even periwinkles trailing down, which you wouldn’t usually put in a bouquet. 

All of Weiss’s favorite flowers. This hadn’t come from any anonymous suitor. It was clearly from someone who knew her, who knew her very well indeed. 

Assuming there wasn’t a telepathy semblance at play, that list was limited to Winter and maybe a few of her friends at Beacon… and even then, who pays that much attention to something so trivial?

_ Ah. Of course.  _

\-----

“Ruby”

Ruby jumped a little, but turned away from Velvet with a grin on her face. “Hey Weiss! What’s up?” Ruby sounded cheerful, but her smile was just a little too innocent.

Or maybe her face was just stuck like that.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?” She gave Velvet a small smile, wanting to be sure she knew there was no bad blood here. “Alone?” 

Ruby looked a tad worried at that, but Velvet only smiled. “Fine. Answer’s still no.” She turned to Ruby for that last part before directing her attention back to Weiss. Amid Ruby’s protests that she just wanted a  _ look _ at Anesidora, she wasn’t going to  _ break _ it, Velvet said “Good luck tomorrow. You’ll do great!” 

They’d  _ better _ .

Velvet was definitely the easiest member of her team to get along with. She was kind, understanding, and would have no doubt had a  _ much _ better solution to Weiss’s current predicament than what she was about to do.

Well. no going back now.

“Did you see that bouquet someone sent to our dorm?” 

Ruby’s eyebrows momentarily shot into her hairline before slipping into the vaguely confused expression she often wore in  _ Doctor _ Oobleck’s class.

“Uh, no… I don’t think I did.”

Weiss simply raised an eyebrow. Ruby simply stood there looking awkward for a few seconds before picking the conversation back up. “Are… are they pretty?”

“Yes, actually. White tulips, it’s a shame I don't like them--”

“They’re roses, and aren’t they your favorite?”

Ruby excelled at many things, but lying had never been one of them. Yang  _ did _ say she couldn’t keep a poker face to save her life.

It was almost disappointing how easy that had been.

“If you didn’t see them, why would you know?”

Ruby seemed very interested in the lamps in the courtyard, the newly repaired pavement, the sunset just off the edge of the cliffs… anything that wasn’t Weiss’s eyes. 

“…Yang told me?”

“It was a rhetorical question you  _ dolt _ , and I’m not nearly so ignorant as you seem to think I am. Just  _ tell me _ . I…” Weiss hesitated, but then pressed on. “I’d rather hear it from you.”

“…Okay, yeah… I bought those flowers.” Ruby sounded timid in a way Weiss hadn’t heard since their first week of classes.

“Why? Why would you send me a bouquet? It’s not like you’re in love with me or something-” Weiss cut herself off when she saw the look on Ruby’s face. 

One look was all she needed as confirmation.

Oh.

_ Oh _ .

“Ruby.”

“...yeah?”

“Why now? Why do you feel that way?”

“Because… because you’re really smart and super pretty and lately you’ve been so much nicer- not that you weren’t nice before!” Ruby hurried to correct herself.  _ Nice save _ , thought Weiss. Sarcastic even in her own head. Perhaps she had earned the title of Ice Queen for a good reason after all.

“I... I didn’t want to be selfish or make things uncomfortable, but I  _ really _ like you and it was hard to keep bottling it up, so I picked out the flowers and left them in our dorm, and I was gonna see what you thought and if it worked out then I was gonna leave a note with the next one after your match,” Ruby paused to take a deep breath, then plowed right on. “--and I figured I’d play it by ear from there because I don’t even know if you  _ like _ girls like that or if  _ you _ know if you do but…” Ruby stared at her feet for a few moments. “But I like you and it felt weird that you didn’t know. Especially since we, y’know, share a bedroom and stuff.”

That was somehow mortifying and flattering at the same time. 

“I appreciate the flowers. They’re beautiful, and it was a really sweet gesture. I’m not exactly sure how I feel about this, but… once the tournament ends, I would not be averse to,  _ potentially _ ,” Weiss wasn’t even sure why she’d said that. “pursuing a non-platonic relationship with you.”

Either a very strange bird had moved into the courtyard or Ruby had just squealed. “Really?” And just like that, Ruby was smiling with more energy than an uncut Dust crystal. 

“Yes, really. Just please, take more initiative next time? The passiveness with the bouquet was a little frustrating.” Weiss was trying very, very hard to keep a straight face.

“Take more initiative. I can do that.” Ruby didn’t sound sure of it.

“Good.” Weiss turned on her heel, but only took a few steps before Ruby’s hopeful proposition abruptly stopped her.

“Would you- I mean, there’s uh… there’s a party. After the tournament ends. It’s student lead-- team CFVY is running it, since they weren’t there for the dance, so it.. it’ll be fun.” The way Ruby said it sounded more like a question. “It’s not a big deal, and I totally get it if you don’t wanna go but-”

Weiss decided to cut off Ruby’s babbling, which she considered to be an act of mercy. “Are you trying to ask me to accompany you to a party?”

“Y-yeah.”

“...Like a date?”

“Not like a date. A date.” Ruby managed to get out.

For one horribly awkward moment, both girls were silent. Then- 

“Okay.”

There it was again-- that look on Ruby’s face, silver eyes gleaming and a smile so wide it must have  _ hurt _ . “Really?”

“Sure.” Weiss hesitated, but couldn’t resist a smile when she added “Maybe try wearing another sleeveless dress? The one you wore at the last dance was pretty cute.” Now that smile  _ had _ to be painful. 

“Thanks! Uh… you looked really pretty too. You always do, but like…” Ruby let out a little giggle. “I, uh… I’m really excited about this. Honest.”

“That’s one of the things I like about you, Ruby.” Weiss wasn’t entirely sure what she was saying even after it slipped out of her mouth. “You’re always so sincere.”  
  
  
  
  
  


  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This is set in Volume 3, between Chapters 4 & 5 in case you’re wondering. Very little changes to the canon timeline except that Ruby developed a crush on Weiss and realized it pretty early on, and decided to act on it by second semester.
> 
> I want to make it clear that Yang is only teasing because she KNOWS and wants Weiss to actually think about this. Yang is an incredibly intelligent and sensitive character and I worry she might not have come off that way. 
> 
> After the Fall established team CFVY had a mentors/friends kind of relationship with team RWBY, which I wanted to expand on. Also, I just really love Coco.
> 
> For anyone who’s wondering what type of Faunus that barista is, the ears are based on the palm civet, one of the few animals that consume coffee! I have no reason or excuse for this. Well, I wanted to emphasize that most racism is internalized and that even if Weiss isn't outright hateful anymore, she still probably has some stuff to work through. But honestly I mostly wanted a fun throwaway character.
> 
> Thank you to Coppergold_Mari for beta reading and supporting me in this. I usually don’t publish or even physically write fics, so comments are much appreciated!


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